DRLC Comments on Revisions to Calif. Civil Jury Instructions

The Disability Rights Legal Center has submitted a letter to the Administrative Office of the Courts with comments on the proposed revisions to California Civil Jury Instructions (CACI) 3020 and 3021. These jury instructions concern the factual elements necessary to claims under the Unruh Civil Rights Act. The proposed instructions concerning the elements of motivation and harm are unclear, and in some respects inaccurate, and they require further modification. The wide variety of claims that can be adjudicated under the statute make it difficult for judges to provide uniform instructions, and the DRLC's recommendations include writing separate instructions for different violations. The Asian Pacific American Legal Center, the Impact Fund, Legal Aid of Marin, the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley and the Western Center on Law & Poverty joined the DRLC in this effort. 

DRLC Educates People with Epilepsy on Their Rights

DRLC Outreach Program presented an informative training at the Regional Epilepsy Conference. John Villar de Longoria, Outreach Director, conducted the workshop in Spanish and English on the Americans with Disabilities Act and Employment Rights for People with Epilepsy. Maggie Hui, Outreach Coordinator, staffed a booth at the conference where she shared information and resource materials. The event is part of trainings the DRLC offers with DBTAC-Pacific ADA Center.  

ABA Writes Washington Regarding LSAT Accomodations

The American Bar Association has written letters to the U.S. House of Representatives and Attorney General Holder expressing the Association's support for a strategic plan to ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided appropriate accommodations when taking law school admission tests. Over the years, people with disabilities have complained to the ABA's Commission on Disability Rights that the process to apply for, and obtain accommodations to take law school admission tests is burdensome, costly, and time-consuming; that they were denied the appropriate accommodations they had been receiving throughout their schooling; and that their plans for a legal career had been negatively affected.  In the letters, the ABA shares the concerns that people with disabilities have voiced and states the policy that the ABA House of Delegates unanimously adopted in February 2012 to address these concerns: "that the American Bar Association urges all entities that administer a law school admission test to provide appropriate accommodations for a test taker with a disability to best ensure that the exam results reflect what the exam is designed to measure, and not the test taker's disability." The Government Accountability Office cited these concerns in its study Improved Federal Enforcement Needed to Better Protect Students' Rights to Testing Accommodations and recommended that Justice Department take steps to develop a strategic approach to enforcement, such as by analyzing its data and updating its technical assistance manual. The Department agreed with GAO's recommendation. The ABA and its Commission on Disability Rights wrote the government to offer their support in developing this strategic plan.

Read the ABA Letter to the U.S. House of Representatives       

Read the ABA letter to Attorney General Holder

Friday, March 30 - Sunday, April 1 

Meet the DRLC at This Year's Abilities Expo Los Angeles  

The Disability Rights Legal Center is participating in this year's Abilities Expo in Los Angeles. Come find us in booth #921 and learn about our programs and services. Abilities Expo is the trusted source where people with disabilities, their families, seniors, vets, caregivers and healthcare professionals gain knowledge and empowerment (and have a little fun!). For more than 30 years, Abilities Expo has also provided an excellent forum for companies with disability products and services to reach out and enhance the lives of this Community.

Dates and Times of Abilities Expo L.A. are as follows:
Friday, March 30 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, March 31 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
Sunday, April 1 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Expo is free and open to the public, but you must register either in advance or at the event. For information and early registration, visit http://www.abilitiesexpo.com/losangeles/index.html

Register for CLRC's 2012 Cancer Rights Conferences  

Registration is now open for Cancer Legal Resource Center's 2012 Cancer Rights Conferences! The CLRC will be hosting conferences in Boston, MA, on May 29; Chicago, IL, on September 7; Central Valley, CA, on October 5; and Houston, TX on October 19. Each of these conferences will bring together cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, attorneys, health care professionals, and other members of the cancer community to learn about subjects including health insurance, health care reform, employment, and taking time off work and disability insurance.  To register, please visit http:cancerrightsconference.org. For more information about becoming a sponsor or partner of the CLRC's National Cancer Rights Conferences, click here. 

Donate

The online credit card donation feature is available on the Make a Donation page of the DRLC website. This quick and easy function can be used for general donations.   

Volunteer

Visit the How You Can Help page of our website to volunteer as a pro bono attorney on a disability rights case, work as a student law clerk or assist with intake and administrative responsibilities.